FULL TIME: BARCELONA 1 ATLETICO MADRID 1 Well, what a superb second half. Hugely enjoyable. Had everything. A couple of top class goals from Diego and Neymar, pulsating attacking and desperate defending. Goes without saying that Atletico Madrid would have taken this result at the start of the evening, but Barcelona are still well in the tie. Fans will be awaiting reports of Diego Costa's injury on tenterhooks. Sure we'll be in for a cracking evening back in the Spanish capital, hopefully see you for that. In the meantime, thanks and good night.

90+ mins: Silly from Atletico defender Sosa. He's facing Neymar on the edge of the box, sticks a leg out, and Neymar goes down like he's been shot. Atletico bundle the freekick clear. And that's it!

89 mins: Incredibly tense stuff.. It's Alexis now bursting into the box, surely he's got to shoot, the game's up for grabs. But he delays too long and it's scrambled to something like safety. There are three minutes of injury time to be played. They'll feel like three hours for Atletico.

88 mins: Great ball in but Felipe Luis produces a fine clearing header.

85 mins: Lovely curling freekick from Messi, and a super diving save from the big keeper Courthois to tip it around the post. They clear the corner well.

84 mins: Alexis fouled by Koke on the edge of the box. Silly tackle from a man on a yellow.

83 mins: Brilliant turn from Alexis in the box but Atletico just nip in.

82 mins: Here come Barca again. But they've lost it - can Atletico break? Nah. Iniesta cleans things up. What a player. Atletico tiring a bit now? They have given the ball up cheaply in the last couple of minutes.

80 mins: Neymar fouled, but the freekick doesn't come to much.

78 mins: More work for the ref as Diego goes in two-footed on Busquets. I make it five yellows to two. Barcelona have played well over 500 passes to their opponents one hundred and something.

76 mins: The busy Christian Rodriguez is on for Arda Turan.

75 mins: Iniesta is walking the line now in this very exciting second half, he's nibbled at an Atleti player and is blown up.

73 mins: Atleti cannot clear the corner, they are well under the pump here. Panic stations in the box. Eventually scrambled clear.

72 mins: The forece is with Barca now, wonderful atmos. Barca with a pulsating attack, it's just about repelled, and Iniesta curls a lovely shot from the edge of the box. Well saved. Brilliant, actually, diving full length at his near post.

GOAL! Brilliant from Barcelona! For once, Atleti don't clear efficiently, and Iniesta picks out Neymar with a wonderful ball. He surges into the box and curls it home with a quite brilliant first-time finish. Just a delightful goal, so simple yet so perfect. BARCELONA 1 ATLETICO MADRID 1 (Neymar 71) Could centre half Miranda have dived in front of it, maybe?

69 mins: Jose Sosa on, David Villa off. Very slowly.

67 mins: Alexis Sanchez comes on for Cesc Fabregas. Neymar down the left, tackled by Gabi, Neymar with the extended roll and whinge. I really can't bear this guy. Don't get me wrong, some of my favourite players of the last few years have been inveterate divers - Ronaldo, Drogba - but there's ways and ways of doing it.

66 mins: All Barca at the moment.

64 mins: Dani Alves lashes it from the edge of the box, Messi tries to chest it in but it's ruled a handball off his upper arm.

63 mins: Talking of cheats, Busquets lets fly with a savage shot that is palmed away.

62 mins: Messi cutting a forlorn figure. Barcelona break into the AM box and Iniesta hurls himself to the ground. For such a brilliant side, these are a bunch of cheating little blighters, you have to say. Juanfran was nowhere near him, that was a pure dive, and he could well have had a (second) yellow.

60 mins: And they think they're in when there's a break down the right, ball across from Dani Alves and Cesc has a free header... No. Alves fouled his marker on his way to delivering that cross. An email from Philip Podolsky

Looks to me like Martino chose his best individuals rather than making adjustments for the kind of game Athletico always inflict on their rivals. Surely Pedro the workhorse is better suited for this extreme gritfest than an out-of-form Neymar? Who could come on when everyone's comprehensively knackered and do a skill or two then...

59 mins: So now it's over to Barca.

57 mins: Frustrated by that, Jordi Alba has needlessly hacked down his man Juanfran. Yellow for him too! That was a hell of a shot for the goal. The freekick was maybe 30 yards out, it was touched to Diego, and the sub just looked up and let er rip, beating the keeper on his near post by his left hand. Shot!

GOAL! It's slipped to Diego, and he's lashed home a remarkable shot from 25 yards that beats Barca's dodgy keeper at the near post! Amazing shot and Atletico have the lead. BARCELONA 0 ATLETICO MADRID 1 (Diego 56)

54 mins: Superb pressing and defence from Atletico, you just hope that they don't get a man second-yellowed. Iniesta is booked for a foul on Diego and he gets a yellow. It's 30 yards out....

52 mins: Iniesta with some great play, picks out Neymar, shades of handball possibly, but it's cleared anyway.

50 mins: Not the greatest ball in, and Miranda (nickname: Carmen) is offside. Fabregas breaks, hauled back by Juanfran, the ref plays advantage and then later books Juanfran. Four bookings to nil now. I fancy this to end 11 v 10.

49 mins: Diego picks Neymar's pocket and surges forward but his progress is checked. Over the other side of the field, Jordi Alba is adjudged to have fouled Diego. Bit of a stitch up actually, but a freekick nonetheless.

47 mins: Neat little one-two involving Neymar, but the Brazil forward fouls his Atleti marker as he bursts into the area.

46 mins: Here's Barca with the ball, then. Briefly I become confused. Have they not changed ends? No! Barca are merely playing the ball backwards. Ah, these continentals with their clever ways. British side would have had it in the mixer by now.

20.48 We're about ready for the second half.

HALF TIME: BARCELONA 0 ATLETICO MADRID 0 Feels like there's goals in this, but none of the forward talent on display has quite been firing on all cylinders. That Neymar is one of those players, for me, of the Early Career Zlatan stripe: you were always hearing how amazing he was, you wanted to see him do something awesome, and he always did absolutely naff all when you saw him on telly in Europe.an competition. That's been my experience of Neymar, anyhow. I digress.

The talk before the game was as to whether Atleti's main man Diego Costa would be fit to play. Well, he was and he wasn't. He limped off after half an hour, and Barcelona also lost a key man when Pique had to go off early doors. Barca, it hardly needs saying, have had more of the ball, but Atleti have had their moments, and in fact the best chance fell to David Villa early on. Barca are in possession of a dodgy keeper. I reckon there'll be some red hot goal action after the break. See you in a bit.

45 mins: Neymar handles it on halfway and, although the cameraman misses it, I think Villa has tried a snap shot from the set piece. Beaten out by the keeper. No played forward for Villa, who hit a quick shot. Anyhow, saved. And that's the end of the half..

44 mins: Run and wild shot from Neymar. Atleti ending the half quite well with danger around the Barca box, Villa gets a shot on, well stopped.

42 mins: Barca over-elaborate at the back, there's nearly a chance for Villa. All hands to the pump for Barca. They get it clear, and as they come forward Arda Turan upends Messi. He's going to be the third Atletico Madrid player into the book.

40 mins: Handy ball in from the right by Alves, header from Messi, unmarked, and a good low save from Courtois.

38 mins: Neymar with a ludicrous dive in an attempt to mug off Godin, who quite literally was nowhere near him. The ref's not having it.

37 mins: Gabi's made one foul too many and he's rightly in the book as well. Awful freekick from Barca. Alba the guilty party.

36 mins: Not a lot to report on the attacking side for the visitors. The home crowd, though, get nervous any time the ball goes anywhere near the Barcelona keeper.

35 mins: Bartra up for the freekick but he muffs a header.

34 mins: Arda goes through Iniesta and bangs him on the knee. I tell you what, a lot of refs would have booked a lot more than one so far tonight. All hail the German referee-banker-lawyer.

32 mins: New Diego is in the game right away and plays a good pass. Bartra, who has been excellent since coming on for Pique, cuts it out.

30 mins: So Diego Costa comes off and is replaced by Diego.

28 mins: Bad, bad news for Atletico Madrid. He's gone in the hamstring. He's coming straight off. Not convinced he was really fit to play in the first place to be quite honest.

26 mins: Barcelona starting to happen. More intricate interplay now, they stand the ball up at the back post but it's just too high for Neymar.

25 mins: AM have done very well, but boy, there's no answer to Messi sometimes. Some amazing trickery, his control is sensational, and now a laser accurate ball through to Xavi, who is just about to pull the trigger when he's denied by a desperate last tackle.

23 mins: Nice build up, Xavi dinks the ball in, and Neymar rises to have the home side's first effort on goal. It's a weak header as it turns out, easily saved.

21 mins: Bit of a patchy few minutes. Here come Barcelona with Alves prominent, and Busquets keeping things ticking. But they've lost it - and Diego Costa looks to break. Good tackle from the sub Barta, stopping Costa in his tracks. That will boost confidence.

18 mins: Dani Alves dives to the ground. Don't think Biscuits has thrown himself on the turf yet. His standards are slipping. But Koke becomes the first man in the book when he goes in late on Neymar. No complaints, that was a yellow.

17 mins: Messi and now Fabregas play good balls that are just about cut out.

16 mins: Game settling into a pattern: Barca have the ball, AM are defending with pace, verve and they're pressing nicely.

14 mins: Sloppy at the back from Barca as Pinto gives the ball away. Tiago has kicked Iniesta in the back of the leg and is very lucky not to be booked.

12 mins: Anyhow, Pique is replaced and on comes Marc Bartra.

11 mins: Looks like Pique is going to have to come off. He's hobbling badly. An email from a person calling themselves M1:

I'm a madridista - but tonight hoping for a win for 'los indios'. With Farca at home for the first leg the match is set-up well, especially if Atleti can score tonight. And tomorrow, I have a hunch Dortmund will be thrashed.

I'm hoping that Los Indios isn't some sort of racial slur from this Real Madrid-supporting person. Hmm. From Wikipedia:

During their history, Atletico Madrid has been known by a number of nicknames, including Los Colchoneros ("The Mattress Makers" in English), due to their first team stripes being the same colours as old-fashioned mattresses. During the 1970s, they became known as Los Indios, allegedly due to the club signing several South American players after the restrictions on signing foreign players was lifted. However, there are a number of counter theories which claim they were named so because their stadium is "camped" on the river bank, or because Los Indios (The Indians) were the traditional enemy of Los Blancos (The Whites), which is the nickname of the club's city rivals, Real Madrid.

8 mins: Pique and Diego Costa go up for a high ball, and the Barcelona defender lands heavily. He's okay to play on, albeit rather gingerly.

5 mins: Nifty run from Messi, and Gabi chops him down just outside the box. Dangerous position. Xavi and Messi stand over the ball, but Messi's curled it tamely into the wall.

4 mins: Poor clearance from sub keeper Pero, straight to an Atletico player, he slips it to David Villa who is in an excellent position. He really should have done better with that one. Screws it wide. Weak effort.

2 mins: Nice bit of work from Filipe Luis down the left, he slips it inside and Atleti get the break of the ball. Villa with the first shot of the night, but he'll have to do better than that to score against his former employers.

1 mins: Confident opening from Atleti, Arda down the right hand side causing headaches for Jordi right away.

19.45 Right! Atleti kick off.

19.43 The referee is a lawyer for a Munich bank. Wow. A German referee-banker-lawyer. Pantomime's all across the country will be looking to sign him as villain come Christmas season.

19.40 Looking forward to this a great deal. "Atletico have nothing to lose," says JFH. "They can just play free but keep it tight."

19.30 An email arrives from H Srooley:

The premier league has much more depth in comparison to the La Liga. Having said that Barcelona and real Madrid cannot be matched by even the top premier league teams. It would be interesting to have a cup of leagues where the premier league team of the year would play the la liga team of the year.

19.25 Predictions? I am hoping for a 1-1, which would obviously suit AM nicely. Right then.

19.15 Always good to get the declarations out of the way nice and early. I really like Atletico, always have, not least because my really good mate from Madrid and her dad support them, and he's not been very well, so I'll be rooting for them tonight to give him a bit of a lift. Lots to enjoy about Barcelona as well, it goes without saying, but it's the men in Red and White for me tonight.

19.05 Word from the rise seems to be for a tight game tonight and that it will be decided in Madrid's return.

19.01 Splendid! There's Jimmy Floyd Piggybank, once of Atleti, doing a spot of punditry. "As a couple, I have not seen Villa and Costa playing that well together. On the other hand, very brave of the coach, putting a sign out that they are going to go for it." He also notes "A 1-1 draw would be better than losing 0-1." Wise words there.

18.59 I'm just having a look on the twitters. Check out this guy. "Supports @FCBarcelona & @Arsenal with absolute heart-felt passion.." Eurch. Two-team Tessie.

18.57 Teams now. Looks as if Diego Costa is fit. And quite a bold move from Diego Simeone, two strikers.

And here are the hosts...

18.51 If you've got Sky Sports 1, there's some good Spanish league chat on before this evening's football. They're just showing poor Valdes doing his cruciate recently.

18.50 Hope you'll stay with us for what could be a cracking game. It seems that everyone has already got their mind made up about the other big game tonight.

<noframe>Twitter: Matthew Stanger - Think United could surprise a few people tonight. Reckon it will only be 2 or 3-0 to Bayern.</noframe>

18.35 The main question tonight hangs on the fitness of Atletico's main man Diego Costa.

18.30 Evening readers! How's it going? What an exciting match this is. The power might be shifting in the UK, largely thanks to David Moyes, but there's the rumblings of a revolution in Spain as well. We're watching the leaders in La Liga tonight. And it's not Barca. They're second, one point behind Atletico Madrid. Still seven games to go, and Real Madrid are only two points behind Atleti themselves, so nobody's counting any chickens yet, but wow. How cool if someone other than the big two won?

***

Alan Tyers will be here after his siesta, for the mouthwatering all-Spanish Champions League quarter-final.

Match preview

Atletico Madrid midfielder Tiago Mendes has compared his side's ability to compete with the far richer Barcelona and Real Madrid this season to the tale of Robin Hood.

Atlético face Barcelona in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final at the Camp Nou on Tuesday and also lead La Liga ahead of the two traditional giants of Spanish football with just seven games remaining.

Diego Simeone's men have overcome the odds despite having an annual budget of almost 400 million euros ($550 million) less than Barca and Real and Tiago believes people in crisis-hit Spain can associate with the hard work that has taken Atlético to the top.

"I think that we have our own identity. It is very easy for people to identify with us, also because in society we are living through a period of crisis and we are fighting in the Champions League with a much lower budget," he said at his side's pre-match press conference on Monday.

"That is where the similarity between Robin Hood and our team comes from."

Atlético have already faced Barca three times this season, twice in the Spanish Supercup and once in La Liga at the Vicente Calderon back in January.

All three encounters ended in draws, however four-time World Player of the Year Lionel Messi's involvement in two of those games was limited by injury and Someone is expecting to face a much stronger Barca side at the Camp Nou this time around.

While Diego Simeone is adamant that his Atlético Madrid side's collision with Barcelona on Tuesday night will be "beautiful", the attritional battles between La Liga's top two so far this season - three draws, two of them goalless - would suggest otherwise.

What elevates this confrontation at the Nou Camp is not solely the fact that the pair have never met on the European stage before, or the anticipated Champions League pyrotechnics from Lionel Messi, but the stunning revival of Atlético striker Diego Costa.

As the club's heir to Radamel Falcao, Costa has proved the linchpin in their unlikely surge to the domestic summit, with 33 goals and an unrivalled team ethic that Simeone describes as "contagious".

Characteristically, he was the catalyst in last weekend's 2-1 win over Athletic Bilbao to re-establish Madrid's poor relations at the top.